RADNOR, Pa. (March 19, 2013) –
Joan Buzzallino ’66, retired IBM executive, will receive the 2013 Ivy Young Willis Award in a ceremony at Cabrini College on March 21.
Given annually, the Ivy Young Willis Award recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions in the field of public affairs.
Buzzallino graduated from Cabrini College with a bachelor of science in elementary education. In the 1970s, Buzzallino was among the first women in the IBM sales organization, serving as a marketing manager in Philadelphia and a branch manager in Morristown, N.J. After 15 years in sales at IBM, she accepted a position in human resources.
In 2005, Buzzallino retired as vice president for human resources for manufacturing and sales, the unit responsible for IBM’s 190,000 engineers and scientists. During her tenure, she was a leader in succession planning, and a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity.
Since retiring, Buzzallino served for nine years on the Cabrini College Board of Trustees, and on the Board of Directors for the Stamford Museum and Nature Center in her Connecticut hometown. She is an active participant in the IBM On Demand Community, an initiative that underlines IBM’s support for volunteerism around the world.
In 2005, Buzzallino generously endowed the Buzzallino Family Faculty Fund at Cabrini, which recognizes and rewards faculty members who are dedicated to academic excellence and outstanding undergraduate teaching and who carry out the vision and spirit of Cabrini College on a daily basis.
She also established a scholarship that provides a global experience to a student who otherwise couldn’t afford it, with preference given to a minority student. This scholarship was awarded for the first time during the 2011-12 academic year.
The Ivy Young Willis Award and Lecture program began in 1992 through the generosity of William G. Willis, father of Martha Dale, a 30-year employee of the College who passed away in 2012. Ivy Young Willis was a pioneer in teaching and reading on television who worked closely with The League of Women Voters and the World Affairs Council.
Previous recipients of the Ivy Young Willis Award include:
- Risa Vetri Ferman (2012), district attorney of Montgomery County
- Jane Golden (2010), executive director of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
- Lisa Johnson Nutter (2008), president of Philadelphia Academies, Inc.
- the late Happy Fernandez (2000), former president of Moore College of Art and Design
About Cabrini College
Students do extraordinary things at Cabrini College, a residential Catholic college welcoming learners of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the College provides a transformational “education of the heart,” focusing on academic excellence, leadership development and a commitment to social justice.
Cabrini offers 1,400 full-time undergraduate students more than 30 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations and minors. Nearly 1,400 students are in graduate studies programs at the main campus in Radnor, Pa., and at 12 off-site locations. The College’s serene 112-acre campus is located 30 minutes from Philadelphia.